For the past week, the Sharks have talked about their growing confidence and how they are peaking at just the right time. The goal now is maintaining that positive vibe against the formidable Chicago Blackhawks.

"We've got such a good chemistry," defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic said. "Since I've been here, this is the best group of guys we've had. We work well together in a system, and it shows on the ice."

In other words, everything is going according to plan — just the way the organization laid it out a year ago after yet another sickeningly premature playoff exit.

From the rubble of that first-round debacle against Anaheim emerged a strategy that saw the blockbuster trade for Dany Heatley, a change in the captaincy and the addition of key role players. While general manager Doug Wilson and coach Todd McLellan retooled the roster, they also showed faith in some of the team's biggest stars.

The result is a team that is one step — and yes, it's one big step — from the franchise's first Stanley Cup finals appearance.

"When I spoke with Doug and Todd last summer, there was a definite plan about what they wanted the team to be," said forward Manny Malhotra, who signed as a free agent. "And it's played out exactly the way they discussed. Everything is just clicking."

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Wilson, the chief architect of the renovation project, isn't about to start bragging about his blueprints. He said the focus belongs on the players.

"Intrinsically driven people will find a way," he said. "It was all about collecting people who wanted to find that way. They've grown from their experiences and found solutions. We believe in these people."

Here is how the pieces came together for a Sharks team that will take the ice this afternoon for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals:

The gamble

Adding Heatley, who demanded to be traded by Ottawa and then refused a deal to Edmonton last summer, was a huge risk. But since arriving in San Jose early in training camp, Heatley has been a model teammate as well as a dangerous scorer.

Slowed in the first round by a lower-body injury, Heatley began to show in the Detroit series why he is a proven playoff performer. He is tied for second on the team in postseason scoring with 11 points.

"Heater is such a gamer," defenseman Douglas Murray said. "He wants the puck. He loves to score. He's willing to do anything to get to the right areas to score."

Adding grit

The Sharks rebuilt the third and fourth lines in the offseason with the emphasis on shedding their image for being soft. Hello, Malhotra and Scott Nichol.

Both love contact and have added some calcium to a team that badly needed a stronger backbone. They also are two of the NHL's best faceoff men — a plus for a team that thrives on puck possession.

They have been the key components in the revamping of those lines. But currently injured Jed Ortmeyer, a rejuvenated Torrey Mitchell and up-and-coming youngsters Logan Couture and Jamie McGinn also have played roles.

"Doug did a really good job of changing some of our third- and fourth-line players and giving the team our different look," McLellan said. "They've made us adjust the way we play somewhat, and that includes guys like (Joe) Thornton and (Patrick) Marleau."

Secondary scoring

It didn't exist last spring. But the Sharks' "second" line of Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe and Devin Setoguchi has grown into a powerhouse this postseason — combining for 33 points in 11 games.

"The Big Pavelski" has been a revelation, morphing into one of the NHL's best players the past month and leading the Sharks with 15 points.

"It takes a team to win in the playoffs," goalie Evgeni Nabokov said. "It doesn't happen with three or four guys. We won against Colorado because Pavs' line was unbelievable."

The old man and the 'C'

In the wake of last spring, McLellan and Wilson decided Marleau didn't need the extra weight of being captain. The title was given to veteran defenseman Rob Blake, who was a longtime Los Angeles Kings captain.

Blake, 40, has been a steadying presence who typifies the idea of never getting too high after a win or too low following a loss. That attitude served the Sharks well when they found themselves down 2-1 to Colorado in the first round.

"We felt he was the right guy," McLellan said. "He has a strong voice in the locker room."

Stars who play like stars

Thornton, Marleau and Nabokov all have been harshly criticized for not matching their regular-season play in the postseason. And 12 months ago, there was considerable discussion that the Sharks might ask any of them to waive their no-trade clauses — breaking up the team's core.

Wilson showed patience, and all three have played pivotal parts in getting the Sharks this far.

Nabokov, despite a couple of ugly games, is enjoying a strong postseason run. Thornton is coming off the best playoff series of his career after putting on a command performance against Detroit.

Marleau still isn't playing the way he did during a 44-goal regular season. But he scored the winners in the last two victories over Detroit.

"There's been an evolution of some players in their growth," said Wilson, not mentioning names. "It's not what happens to you, but rather what you do with it. It's been satisfying to watch how they've figured that out for themselves."

A new attitude

The handwritten words on a whiteboard inside McLellan's office said it all last September. "Reputation. Everyone has one. Are you happy with yours? Collectively. Individually."

The message was taken to heart by the players. They are quick to remind everyone — sometimes with a little anger in their voices — that this group is not the same as previous versions of the Sharks.

"The mentality in this room is that we're a new team," Malhotra said. "There's a great focus in this room. We're playing great hockey. And that's all that matters."